Percorrer por autor "Gossa, Tegenu"
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- Exploring early acheulian technological decision-making: a controlled experimental approach to raw material selection for percussive artifacts in Melka Wakena, EthiopiaPublication . Paixão, Eduardo; Gossa, Tegenu; Gneisinger, Walter; Marreiros, Joao; Tholen, Sören; Calandra, Ivan; Hovers, ErellaThe evolution of human behaviour is marked by key decision-making processes reflected in technological variability in the early archaeological record. As part of the technological system, differences in raw material quality directly affect the way that humans produce, design and use stone tools. The selection, procurement and use of various raw materials requires decision-making to evaluate multiple factors such as suitability to produce and design tools, but also the materials’ efficiency and durability in performing a given task. Therefore, characterizing the physical properties of various lithic raw materials is crucial for exploring changes in human interactions with their natural environment through time and space and for understanding their technological behaviour. In this paper, we present the first step in an ongoing program designed to understand the decision-making criteria involved in the use of raw materials by the early Acheulian tool-makers at the Melka Wakena (MW) site-complex, located on the Ethiopian highlands. We present the results of the first experimental step, in which we identified and measured the engineering properties of raw materials in the lithic assemblages. These data serve as an objective, quantifiable baseline for natural experiments as well as archaeological inquiries into the technological decision-making processes of early Pleistocene hominins in Africa.
- Seasonal-to-interannual hydroclimatic variability in Afromontane environments during the late Early Pleistocene hominin occupations on the Southeastern Ethiopian HighlandsPublication . Briatico, Giuseppe; Hartman, Gideon; Gossa, Tegenu; Asrat, Asfawossen; Hailu, Haregwin; Ketema, Natnael; Martínez-Navarro, Bienvenido; Niespolo, Elizabeth M.; Renne, Paul R.; Resom, Angesom; Hovers, ErellaClimate variability is a key factor influencing the distribution and adaptive response of mammalian species, including hominins. Here, we investigate seasonal and interannual hydroclimatic and environmental variability associated with the late Early Pleistocene hominin occupations on the Southeastern Ethiopian Highlands. We present stable carbon and oxygen isotope analyses of sequentially sampled tooth enamel from herbivores recovered from the archaeological contexts of Melka Wakena and Gadeb (2300–2400 m a.s.l.) and dated between 1.6 and ~ 1.0 Ma. Carbon isotope data indicate predominantly C4 and mixed C3–C4 diets, consistent with mosaic vegetation as part of the Dry evergreen Afromontane Forest and grassland complex (DAF). Intra-tooth oxygen isotope profiles suggest seasonal variability and interannual fluctuations in water balance, reflecting changes in precipitation, evaporation, and local hydrology. Although the temporal resolution of individual tooth records precludes identification of specific climatic drivers, the isotopic data document recurring hydroclimatic variability within high-elevation environments characterized by broadly comparable ecological conditions. Herbivore diets show limited long-term change, suggesting sustained resource availability across seasons and over hundreds of thousands of years. These results indicate that the Ethiopian Highlands repeatedly supported mammalian communities and recurrent Acheulean hominin occupations during the late Early Pleistocene, providing sustained access to water and vegetation resources within an Afromontane environmental framework.